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NEW DELHI: Nearly three months after sustained protests erupted at Tezpur University, the ministry of education (MoE) has directed vice-chancellor Shambhu Nath Singh to proceed on leave and has constituted a high-level enquiry committee to probe allegations against him, officials said on Wednesday.The decision comes amid mounting pressure from students and faculty members, who have been agitating since mid-September over alleged administrative, financial and environmental irregularities under Singh’s tenure. Protesters marked 100 days of agitation earlier this week with a 24-hour hunger strike, demanding the VC’s removal and immediate intervention by the Centre.“A three-member enquiry panel has been set up to examine all matters relating to the ongoing situation at Tezpur University, including allegations levelled against the VC. The VC shall recuse himself from all duties and proceed on leave with immediate effect, and shall remain on leave till the completion of the enquiry,” a senior MoE official said.The committee has been asked to submit its report within a maximum period of three months. It will be headed by Manipur University VC N Lokendra Singh, with Nagaland University VC Jagadish Kumar Patnaik and University Grants Commission (UGC) secretary Manish R Joshi as members. In the interim, the ministry has appointed Amrendra Kumar Das from the department of design at IIT Guwahati as pro-VC of Tezpur University to ensure continuity in academic and administrative functioning.Earlier this month, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had taken up the issue with union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, urging the Centre to appoint a pro-VC to restore academic stability at the campus.Tezpur University, one of Assam’s two central universities established in 1994 under provisions of the Assam Accord, has remained on edge since late September. Tensions escalated after students accused the university leadership of failing to show due respect to cultural icon Zubeen Garg during a period of public mourning in the state.Beyond the cultural controversy, protesters have raised concerns over alleged financial irregularities and claimed that large-scale deforestation and ecological damage were carried out on the scenic campus during Singh’s administration.The situation worsened on September 22, when heated exchanges reportedly took place between the VC and protesting students, forcing Singh to stay away from the campus thereafter.Since the agitation began, at least 11 faculty members and senior officials have either resigned from their positions or left the university, underscoring the depth of the crisis engulfing the institution.
